If you have a conflict about renting housing, you can file a complaint with Husleietvistutvalget (HTU), the Housing Rental Disputes Tribunal. This applies to both tenants and landlords. You file the complaint digitally at skjema.no/htu, and from 1 January 2026 it costs 269 kr for tenants and 2 071 kr for landlords. As of July 2026, the waiting time is about 10 måneder (roughly ten months) before HTU can begin handling the case. A decision from HTU becomes binding if neither party brings the case to the tingretten (district court) within one month.
What is Husleietvistutvalget, and which cases does it handle?
Husleietvistutvalget (HTU) is a government body that resolves conflicts between tenants and landlords, through mediation or a formal decision. HTU also provides objective guidance on renting housing, and covers all of Norway, including Svalbard.
From 1 January 2026, HTU is organized as part of Husbanken, the state housing bank. HTU remains professionally independent: no one can instruct HTU in individual cases. For you as the complainant, this changes nothing in practice – the complaint process and the fees are the same.
HTU handles disputes under husleieloven, the law that regulates the rental of housing. Common cases include:
- a deposit (depositum) that the landlord will not pay back – see also the rules for deposits
- unpaid rent
- inadequate final cleaning when the tenant moves out
- damage, faults and defects in the housing
- termination of the rental contract
- the size of the rent – read more about the rules for rent increases
- an unlawful deposit
Note the exception: HTU only handles rental of housing. Conflicts about hotels, business premises or holiday homes fall outside its scope.
What you need before you file a complaint
The complaint must be written in Norwegian. This is important to know early on: HTU has information in several languages, but the complaint itself must be in Norwegian. You can have another person write and submit the complaint for you. In that case, you must give that person a written fullmakt (power of attorney), that is, a signed statement that the person can act on your behalf.
Before you file a complaint, you should gather:
- the rental contract – check what it actually says, see the guide on rental contracts in Norway
- documentation: photos, messages, emails and receipts
- bank statements or deposit documents if the case is about money
HTU asks you to gather the attachments into one PDF file.
How to submit the complaint
- First try to resolve the matter directly with the other party. You can also contact HTU for objective guidance before you file a complaint.
- Go to skjema.no/htu and fill out the complaint form. If you need a paper form, you can ask HTU for one.
- Write in Norwegian what you are claiming, and why.
- Upload your documentation together in one PDF file.
- Pay the fee. HTU will not process the case until the fee has been paid.
- The other party receives the complaint and can respond. The response is called a tilsvar (reply).
What does it cost, and how long does it take?
From 1 January 2026, the fee is 269 kr when a tenant complains, and 2 071 kr when a landlord complains. Whoever files the complaint pays the fee. The amounts follow rettsgebyret, a public court fee rate that is 1 345 kr in 2026 and is adjusted every year: the tenant pays 0,2 of the court fee rate and the landlord pays 1,54 of the court fee rate.
The waiting time is long. As of July 2026, it takes on average about 10 måneder from when the complaint is received until HTU can begin handling it. The reason is a large increase in the number of cases. Check the updated processing time at htu.no before you file a complaint.
Who pays in the end? If you reach a forlik (settlement) between you, each party normally covers their own costs, unless you agree otherwise. If HTU decides the case with a formal decision, HTU divides the fee and necessary costs between the parties according to the principles in tvisteloven, the law on civil proceedings.
Mediation or a formal decision?
HTU offers mediation, that is, a conversation where a neutral mediator helps the parties reach an agreement. Mediation is voluntary and normally takes place in a digital video meeting or by phone. If you need an interpreter for the mediation, HTU arranges and pays for the interpreter.
If you reach an agreement, you draw up a forlik (settlement). A forlik is a binding agreement that ends the case. If you do not reach an agreement, the case moves forward, and HTU decides it with a written decision.
What does the decision mean – and what do you do if you disagree?
A decision from HTU becomes binding as a rettskraftig dom (final judgment), that is, a final ruling from a court, if neither party brings the case before the tingretten (district court) within one month. The tingretten is the ordinary court of first instance. The one-month deadline is counted from when the decision is forkynt (formally served), that is, from when you have formally received it. A binding decision can be enforced (tvangsfullbyrdes) – for example, a monetary claim can be collected.
You do not need to go through forliksrådet (the Conciliation Board) first. Forliksrådet cannot handle disputes about the rental of housing – processing by HTU replaces forliksrådet in these cases. Read more about what forliksrådet does in other monetary claims.
Where can you get help?
HTU itself provides objective guidance to both tenants and landlords, including before you decide to file a complaint.
Forbrukerrådet, a public consumer organization, has free guides on rental housing, including a standard rental contract and information about deposits, termination and eviction.
Leieboerforeningen (the Tenants' Association) is a membership organization for tenants. A standard membership costs 440 kr a year (as of July 2026) and includes legal advice. The cheapest membership does not include legal help.
In some types of cases, you may also be entitled to free legal help from the government. The rules depend on the type of case and your income – see the guide on free legal aid in Norway.
